The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Wednesday said the ruling Left front lost the Panskura municipality elections because of the grand alliance of the Trinamool Congress, Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Reacting to the civic election results, CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said the party made gains and retained its hold in several municipalities that went to polls on Sunday.

"We have lost the Panskura Municipality. It is because we were up against a mahajot (grand alliance) of the BJP, Congress and the Trinamool," he said.

The defeat of the Left Front at Panskura is significant in the wake of the violence in Nandigram, which witnessed protests against a move to acquire farmland for industries, in the same district.

Karat also took a dig at the Congress saying its central leadership should know that its state unit has joined hands with the BJP.

The ruling Left Front bagged seven seats while Trinamool and the two independents backed by it got eight seats in the Panskura Municipality elections. The Congress managed to get two seats.